Relax Scandal fans: Meagan Good won’t be replacing Kerry Washington on the hit ABC political drama after all.
The website Cream BMP Daily caused a stir recently when it reported that Good (Anchorman 2, Think Like a Man) would replace Washington after the Scandal star refused to accept a pay decrease set forth to offset rising production costs.
The website, whose About page says it’s “comprised of satire and parody of current news and urban culture,” included a fictitious quote from Scandal showrunner Shonda Rhimes:
“Let’s be honest $300,000 per episode is not like we were putting her in the poor house.”
Supposedly Rhimes said of Good: “Where Meagan lacks in acting she makes up in sex-appeal so we believe she’ll bring a larger male demographic to an already female driven show.”
Scandal fans turned to social media to declare their outrage before learning the article was just a hoax.
The series, which debuted in April 2012, boasts a strong following. Fans are currently awaiting the September 25 premiere of season four.
Rhimes recently revealed that she knows when the series will end:
“I’ve already decided when Scandal is ending. I think there’s only so much Scandal you can tell satisfactorily,” she said. “The Fitz-Liv thing can only be told so long and in such a way. It’s not a 10-season or eight-season show. I’ve already decided how long that is and what that’s going to be.”
Rhimes, whose impressive resume includes Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, has said fans will see even more of Washington in season four now that the show’s leading lady has given birth and they aren’t working around her pregnancy.
“… now that we have the ability to use Kerry the way we need to use her, it means we get to bring everything back to our core in a way that we had in season two and one,” Rhimes said. “… we’re very excited to get back to Olivia-centric storytelling.”
In more reliable and less satirical news, one cast member won’t be returning for season four.
In April Columbus Short, who plays Harrison Wright on the show, announced his exit from the show:
“At this time I must confirm my exit from a show I’ve called home for three years, with what is the most talented ensemble on television today. I would like to first thank Shonda Rhimes for the opportunity to work with such an amazing cast … Thank you … to ABC and Shondaland for allowing me to play such a pivotal role in the Scandal series. I have enjoyed every single minute of it. Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for Shonda, Kerry and the rest of the cast …”
According to Rhimes, Short’s “absence will be explained definitively. What you think happened to his character happened to his character.”
And while Meagan Good won’t be joining the cast, we know of at least one person who will. Ellen Degeneres posted a tweet earlier today alluding to the fact that her wife Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Ally McBeal, Nip/Tuck) will guest star in the upcoming season:
Image via YouTube